50 



is so great that a constant and copious artificial supply will be requisite 

 for some time to establish the genus unless under most favorable circum- 

 stances. Whether they will rise to fly or not, is once more most uncer- 

 tain. I believe it to depend entirely upon the habits in that respect ac- 

 quired by the smolts before they leave fresh water. It is at all events 

 a most interesting experiment." His Excellency stated he would, when 

 replying to i\Ir. Corrance's letter, request him to examine the specimens 

 of our smolts at the Zoological Society's Museum, London. 



IMr. M. Allport remarked that Mr. Corrance's statement, that the fish 

 would bo readily detected in the spawning season at the upper fords and 

 shallow waters of the Derwent, was undoubtedly correct, but the fact was, 

 it would bo quite impossible, with our pecuniary means, effectually to 

 watch the hundreds of miles frontage in the upper waters of the Derwent 

 and its tributaries. These streams run through great tracts of country 

 uninhabited, and in places almost impassable. It was to be recollected, 

 too, that all expense of this kind would bo virtually thrown away, as the 

 result of the experiment must necessarily soon be known in the due course 

 of events. 



In order to show how unreasonable it was to argue that the salmon ex- 

 periment had not succeeded, because no large fish had hitherto been 

 caught. Colonel Crawford read the following extract from the " Reports 

 of the Commissioners of Fisheries of the State of Maine, 1867-8," p. 22 : 

 — " In the fall of 1850, I put into the Sandy River Ponds ten or twelve 

 trout. For seven or eight years no indications of them were to be seen, 

 notwithstanding thousands of people crossed those ponds every year. 

 Since 1857, it is judged that not less than 2,000 pounds have been 

 taken out annually." 



The usual votes of thanks having been accorded to the authors of papers 

 and to the donors of presentations, His Excellency left the chair. 



